The Red Cross celebrates 160 years: its values always relevant

Next 22 June the 160th anniversary of the Red Cross will be celebrated with a torchlight procession from Solferino that will retrace the steps of the first rescuers during the famous battle of 1859. Therefore, Stem ideally will join this important event.

2024 is a special year for Red Cross volunteers and all those who support the goals and mission of this extraordinary voluntary organisation. Most importantly, this year marks the 160th anniversary of the Red Cross, and to pay homage to this important anniversary on 22 June, the traditional torchlight procession will be held in Solferino (Mantua). The goal is to symbolically light up the same streets travelled by the women and men rescuers who transported the wounded after the bloody battle of 1859. A tragic event from which, however, originated the extraordinary humanitarian movement that is still the Italian Red Cross today.

Among all the torches at the event that will start in Piazza Castello at 6pm this year, there will also be that of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. He will attend the ceremony together with the President of the CRI, Rosario Valastro. The Stem team, a leading company in the rescue and health security sector, will also ideally join this important event to testify its closeness and support for the valuable daily commitment, In additon, supporting the moral values as well, professed by the Red Cross.

Solferino, where the very idea of the Red Cross was born

The 160th anniversary of the Red Cross is an opportunity to reflect on the legacy and core values of the Italian organisation. And not only that, but also to recognise the profound impact it has had in shaping humanitarian interventions on a global and national scale. From providing neutral medical assistance in theatres of war to frontline interventions during natural disasters, to the tireless handling of small and large day-to-day emergencies, the Red Cross embodies a relentless commitment to humanity, overcoming geographical, cultural and political barriers to bring relief to those most in need. It is therefore worthwhile on this special day to retrace its origins.

The genesis of the Red Cross is intertwined with the tragic events of the Battle of Solferino in 1859. Consequently, where Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, came face to face with the horrific reality of war. His experience of seeing tens of thousands of soldiers wounded, dying and without medical assistance became the catalyst. For example, for a momentous change in the way the world dealt with humanitarian disasters. Dunant was moved by deep empathy and a sense of urgency. Similarly, his goal was to alleviate suffering, regardless of the faction or nationality of the wounded.

Henry Dunant’s humanitarian appeal becomes reality

Spurred on by this experience, Dunant wrote ‘A Memory of Solferino’, a passionate plea for the creation of voluntary relief societies. In it, most importantly, he was foreshadowing the idea that medical aid should be guaranteed to all those wounded in battle. His vision found echoes and support, culminating in the International Conference held in Geneva in 1863. This meeting marked the birth of the ‘International Society for Relief of Wounded Soldiers’. As a result, it later became what we all know as the ‘Red Cross’.

In the following year, the signing of the first Geneva Convention laid the foundations for the protection of the wounded in war. As well as the legal recognition of the neutrality of humanitarian workers. This ushered in a new era of international humanitarian law. Its principles of neutrality, impartiality and humanity then became the fundamental pillars of the Red Cross mission.

The Red Cross today: changing scenarios, same spirit

Today the Red Cross operates in more than 190 countries and, therefore, together with the Red Crescent, is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Its operators, men and women, work every day and are always in the front line in providing assistance and support in health emergencies. In addition, it is a field of intervention that over the years has expanded more and more. The goal is to include support for communities affected by wars, natural disasters, epidemics and social crises. Therefore, always keeping faith with Henry Dunant’s original vision of alleviating human suffering wherever it is found.

In conclusion, the 160th anniversary of the Red Cross thus becomes not only a milestone, but also a starting point to reaffirm everyone’s dedication to the humanitarian cause and to mutual solidarity. Therefore. it carries on the legacy of those human and moral values that the Red Cross has always embodied. With the wish, also from Stem, that all roads may always be illuminated by the light of these precious principles.